


Company

by thethirstorder (KaiserPhoenix)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon Compliant, Caves, Crying, Drowning, Enemies to Friends, Exploration, Injury, Kylo Ren is a Boss, M/M, Pre-Canon, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-06-03 10:35:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6607543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaiserPhoenix/pseuds/thethirstorder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Kylo Ren and General Hux face almost certain defeat. </p><p>Or,  Ren and Hux are trapped in a cavern together, surrounded by hostile alien creatures on an unfamiliar planet. While they wait for backup, they must try to survive the attacks from dangerous species, as well as each other's company.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In Too Deep

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Angryangryowl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angryangryowl/gifts).



> I'm almost certain this isn't what Angryangryowl had in mind when she sent me this prompt, but I thought it would be fun to write about Kylo and Hux fighting against other species instead of against the Resistance because I've already written [a fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6083967) in which that happens. In any case, I really hope you like it!

The air in the cavern was a thick gauze of moisture. Beads of water clung to the stalactites, which were the colour of rust. Despite the cavern’s large opening, the hot breeze brought no respite, much to the dismay of its two irritable occupants. 

All cursory examinations of the planet had confirmed reports that Lir was planet with a hot, moist atmosphere and an abundance of plantlife. General Hux had been prepared to face the heat, but he had not bargained on being trapped in a cavern with the insufferable Kylo Ren.

Hux hadn’t wanted Ren to accompany him at all, but Snoke had insisted that he come to assess Lir’s suitability as a host planet for the Starkiller Base project. Hux had not formally announced the name of the project, the details of which few officers had access. The superweapon was still in its early days of development and much of its design would be dependent on the conditions of its host planet.

Hux, his sweat-slick hair plastered to his face, curled his lip and threw a contemptuous glance at Ren who, even in all his layers, had not shown any signs of discomfort. Hux had noted Ren’s relative contentment and hated him all the more for it. The two were seated on the cavern’s inhospitable ground, Kylo cross-legged and still, Hux crouching and fidgety. Kylo Ren’s eyes were closed in meditation.

“Ah…” Hux rubbed his temples and sighed in frustration. He was not going to gratify this strange utterance of Ren’s with a response. Kylo Ren’s current presence unnerved Hux. This was a facet of Ren’s being to which Hux was unaccustomed; usually their interactions involved Hux restraining himself from arguing with Ren as he destroyed various workstations of the _Finalizer_ with his unbridled rage. But now it was Hux who was seething with anger and Ren who was eerily quiet.  
  
“Ahhhhhh…” Hux balled his hands into fists, his nails digging into his palms in crescent-shaped indentations. The thick heat was too much and Hux could feel a headache coming on, and Ren’s ridiculous noises were preventing him from formulating a plan to get out of this kriffing cave.

“Mmmmmmm,” Ren hummed.

“Stop it,” Hux snapped. Ren opened his eyes to look at Hux, dark eyes pooling into sharp blue.

“Why, General,” Ren replied calmly, “I thought you wanted to leave this planet.”

“That’s why I’m the one planning how we’re going to get out of this mess. You and your noises are obstructing my concentration,” Hux replied. “These Danchaf aren’t going anywhere anytime soon and it will be hours before backup arrives. In the meantime, it would be prudent to formulate an escape strategy, which is what I am doing. Now, if you would be so kind as to stop with your obnoxious sounds, we would both be better for it,” Hux said through gritted teeth.

“The ways of the Force are subtle,” was all Ren said in reply.

“And you’re going to get us out of here by humming to your Force magic?”

Ren did not respond. He closed his eyes again.

 

* * *

 

Despite Lir’s varied resources, it had not taken Hux long to decide that he most certainly did not want to build Starkiller Base there. Hux and Ren had landed their shuttle without issue and had explored the planet in relative silence for around half an hour. They came upon a stream, by which a large creature with lumpy protrusions on its back rested on all four of its clawed limbs.  
  
Hux immediately recognised the creature as a Danchaf, and motioned to Ren to look for himself.  
  
Luckily, the creature had its back to them and they retreated slowly, only to notice another of the creatures come into view, and another, and another. Hux and Ren glanced down the stream, only to notice more and more of these creatures. Hux’s stomach dropped as he realised that they were surrounded.

“Ren,” Hux had whispered, “We need to lea —” but he was cut off by the ignition of Ren’s absurd, crackling lightsaber, the noise of which made the Danchaf closest to them turn. It started to stomp towards them on its hind legs, its front limbs swinging wildly from broad shoulders. It increased its pace.

Without hesitation, Hux bolted, the greenery a sickening blur as he ran. He spotted the cavern off the edge of the stream and inched his slender frame inside it. Hux squatted, not wanting to stain his clothes. Ren joined him moments later, blood-spattered and with his lightsaber off. 

Hux raised an eyebrow, asking wordlessly for Ren’s report.

“I killed the one that turned around then I came to join you. The rest followed and we are surrounded by now,” Ren said bluntly over the cries of the Danchaf outside. Hux could hear the scraping of the their claws against the cavern’s rocky exterior, as the beasts attempted to find their way in.

“Thanks a lot, you oafish moof-milker. You’ve always been _so useful_ ,” Hux quipped sarcastically.

“I’m not the one who fled like a coward,” Ren retorted, his voice rising from inside his helmet’s modulator.

“That wasn’t cowardice; that was a tactical judgement. Unlike you, I have the strategic skills to spot a lost battle. We couldn’t have fought them all off, just the two of us. And besides, you scared them with that infernal weapon of yours and now look where we are,” Hux said. “I’m actually going to do something useful and comm for backup." 

The cavern would keep the Danchaf at bay temporarily, but both Hux and Ren knew that backup would not arrive for some time. In truth, Hux did not blame Ren as much as he blamed himself. He should have anticipated Danchaf on this kriffing planet. Then again, he had studied galactic geography and knew enough to know that Danchaf were not typically found on planets like this one. Lir was leafy, but Hux had not thought its shrubbery to be conducive to their habits.

But he would die before admitting that to Ren.

Hux’s legs were beginning to ache. He had done everything he could to avoid getting dirt of any kind on his pristine uniform but as he felt the sweat soak through it, he concluded that sitting on the equally damp ground would do no more damage than had already been done. Hux shifted and sat, his back against the uneven wall and his legs out in front of him.

“So, _Ren_ , do you have a less-cowardly plan, or am I going to clean up your mess? Nothing new there, I suppose,” Hux said, after a few moments of silence. “Attacking them is no good unless we can kill them because Danchaf are non-sentient.”

“Hm.”  
  
“Are you ever going to speak to me like a normal human being instead of in grunts and utterances?”

“I’m thinking.” Ren rose and cautiously made his way towards the cave’s exit.

“Ren… what are you doing? We can’t go outside! We’re outnumbered.”

Ren ignored Hux’s protests and poked his masked head out to assess the situation. There were at least forty in sight, likely more. They stalked and paced, their wailing high-pitched and incessant.  
  
Ren reached for his lightsaber.

“Ren! Don’t you dare —” but it was too late: Ren turned his lightsaber on and before Hux could finish his sentence, Ren had beheaded the Danchaf closest to the cave’s entrance. Five more turned and advanced on him, Ren pushing them backwards using the Force and readying himself for another attack.

Well, if Ren wanted to be reckless and get himself injured or killed, that was his business. General Hux was going to get out of this by using his brain, not his untempered impulses. Hux gingerly stood up, stretched his limbs, and headed deeper into the cave. He figured that he would get his bearings and see if there was an alternate exit. He could still hear the swishing and spitting of Ren’s ridiculous plasma sword as he left.

Lir had pools and streams of clear water, some so deep that the bottom was not visible. The aqueous bodies sparkled where cracks of light penetrated the dark cave. Hux kept to the walls of the cavern and had to steady himself from slipping more than once. He was grateful that the cave was a little cooler inside than it had been nearer the entrance.

Hux walked for a few minutes and stopped beside a large pool. Deliberately ignoring his horrific reflection, Hux edged his hand closer to the water’s surface. He knew it was a bad idea — who knew what kinds of creatures lurked beneath the surface — but the pool glittered so alluringly and Hux could imagine the refreshing feeling of cool water on his body, any part would do, anything to lessen the heat and to help him feel even a little less filthy, and he was so uncomfortably warm in his sticky uniform…

No sooner had Hux’s fingertips grazed the surface of the water, a webbed, clawed appendage closed around his wrist and pulled Hux headfirst into the water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content notes:
> 
> \- The actual prompt that Angryangryowl sent me was "In the face of almost certain defeat, how do they deal with it? Who despairs and who pulls the other along? Does it push them together or make them realise their feelings? Do they charge into the fray or wait to be captured?"  
> \- The novelisation of The Force Awakens is my primary source for Kylo and Hux's characterisation.  
> \- The planet is named "Lir" for the god of the sea in Irish mythology.  
> \- I have no clue what the plural of "Danchaf" is and I thought that "Danchafs" sounded weird so I decided that it has the same singular and plural form. They look like [this](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Danchaf).
> 
> Personal notes:
> 
> \- I had such a hard time with the planet's geography. I had already decided that I wanted to set the story in a cavern and then I realised I didn't know anything about the climate that would also involve caves. By that point, I had written the description of the cavern and I liked it so much, I worked the story around that.  
> \- Chapter Two will be posted very shortly.
> 
> Talk to me on [tumblr](thethirstorder.tumblr.com)!


	2. Breathe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo fights his way out of trouble; Hux's fate is revealed.  
>  **Please note: the tags have been updated and the rating has gone up.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really ought to stop promising that chapters are coming "soon." Apologies for the delay; I was writing for the Kylux Big Bang and that ended up taking priority. I hope the action in this chapter makes up for it!

Contrary to what the General believed, Kylo was capable of devising strategy and was especially adept at close-range combat. He used the Force to subdue the Danchaf with his left hand as they advanced, capitalising on the size of the beasts and flinging one of them back towards the others while stabbing the nearest one with his sword arm. 

Twirling his lightsaber, Kylo charged toward the group and slashed three of their throats in a single horizontal stroke. Chest heaving with the effort of holding such a large number of huge creatures at bay, Kylo knew he had to act quickly.

He glanced at the tangle of leaves above him and Force-leapt into the tree. Immediately, three of the monsters started climbing up after him, shaking the tree and hacking at its branches. Kylo took a mental snapshot of the creatures’ positions on the ground below him, while remaining aware of the three scaling the tree trunk beneath him.  
  
There was a cluster of Danchaf directly below, another group before the cave’s entrance, and a few still on top of the cave, trying to claw their way inside. He took note of their spiny backs, horned heads, and disproportionately broad shoulders. He thanked the Force he had been able to slit the throats of the unfortunate three before — the creatures’ weak points, Kylo observed, were their abdomens and narrow waists, unprotected by spikes or thick skin.  
  
Confident in his course of action, Kylo edged his way along the bough with surprising grace.

He rose as quickly as he could afford to, the branch creaking beneath his weight and shaking from the attempted slashes from the Danchaf on the tree.

Kylo pin-jumped, spinning his body as he fell in order to throw his momentum behind his lightsaber stroke. He cut the ring of creatures on the ground clean in half at their waists.

Kylo’s boots collided with the head of the Danchaf directly below him, successfully kicking its head in and knocking it under him. As swiftly as he had killed its companions, Kylo rounded out his lightsaber swing and decapitated it at the neck.

The group of Danchaf outside the cavern’s entrance swarmed around him as the foul stench of blood and guts mingled in the sticky air. Not pausing once, Kylo thrust his lightsaber through the back of a Danchaf clinging to the tree trunk, piercing its heart and burning its innards. The other two that had followed him up the tree had climbed to the space from which he jumped and Kylo made a snap-decision to prioritise the beasts directly in front of him. 

Kylo severed the front limbs of the creature to his immediate right. Blood gushed from the stumps, but the creature did not stumble or show any sign of weakness. _Dammit_ , Ren remembered. _They’re non-sentient_.  
  
Distracted by his mistake for a fraction of a second too long, one of the Danchaf launched itself from the tree with a roar and slammed Kylo to the ground. His head hit the interior back of his helmet, causing a deafening thud in his ears. Kylo kept a sturdy grip on his lightsaber, but long claws tore through his right forearm, which made him yelp and drop his weapon.  
  
As the Danchaf above him raised its arm for a second strike, Kylo seized his chance and rolled away from under it, grabbing his lightsaber and forcing himself to his feet. Gritting his teeth against the stinging pain in his arm, Kylo lunged and sank his blade into the creature’s stomach, leaning on it with his full weight.

He Force-pushed the slain creature into the herd, buying him a few precious seconds to execute a neat backflip onto the cavern roof, where five of the creatures were still climbing. Leaping into the air once more, Kylo took his saber in two hands and plunged it vertically into the flesh of the Danchaf nearest the edge of the cavern roof and sent it toppling to the ground.

A well-placed kick to the stomach sent another Danchaf tumbling off the cavetop, knocking into another as it fell. The final two, Kylo skewered with his lightsaber in a shower of sparks.  
  
Having cleared the cavetop, Kylo stretched out his arm towards the tree from which he had jumped mere moments ago. He frowned in concentration and shook with the strain of the Force.

The tree’s trunk began to crack across its width. There was a heavy groan as the bark split and the trunk became increasingly unstable and gave way. The massive tree fell, crushing the Danchaf beneath it. Kylo slid down the cave’s side and finished off the beasts that were still alive as they struggled beneath the felled tree, one by one.

After Kylo dispatched the last of them, he sank to his knees. Unlatching his helmet to gulp down more air, Kylo panted. He lifted his arm to examine the damage. Three parallel, bloody slashes marked his body and Kylo hissed in pain as he tore away the cloth of his sleeve around it. With a grunt of pain, Kylo clumsily wound the cloth he detached around his injured arm, knotting it with his left hand and his teeth.

Ignoring the protests of his exhausted body, Kylo got up and headed back towards the cave to retrieve Hux, who he presumed to be cowering inside like a kriffing wimp.

* * *

 

Hux didn’t even feel his wrist snap in the creature’s fierce grip. Bizarrely, he felt a flicker of relief as he entered the pool, the freezing water a kind respite from the brutal heat. The feeling vanished in a flash as Hux panicked at not being able to breathe. The thing, which he thought was a Tra’cor, dragged him deeper and deeper. Hux raised his head and saw the light of the cave on the water’s surface receding as he descended.

He held his breath for as long as he could, frantically trying to calm himself down. The burning in Hux’s lungs intensified the pounding in his head as his thoughts grew ever hazier. He fought to keep his mouth closed but could stand it no longer; he opened his mouth and flooded his lungs with water. 

His feeble attempts to expel the water did not help him in the slightest and Hux lamented that he had fought his way to General only to be killed by a common water creature before he lost consciousness.

* * *

 

Kylo knew something was wrong the instant he entered the cave and could not see Hux. His stomach dropped; the Supreme Leader would not be pleased if the General of the First Order had died while on a mission with his apprentice. Kylo felt a twinge of regret as he remembered all of Hux’s officers that he had Force-choked and the apparatus he had destroyed. As much as he despised the man, he needed the First Order’s resources to find Skywalker. Without their General, Kylo doubted that Hux’s forces would be loyal to him out of anything other than fear.

Sprinting, Kylo dashed into the cave, his thoughts racing faster than he could run. _What if I can’t find Hux’s body?_ Kylo worried, _What if they think I murdered him? I can’t stand that prissy General but I wouldn’t kill him. There’d be a mutiny and maybe the Supreme Leader would let them kill me as punishment. Maybe —_

Kylo’s train of thought broke as he lost his footing on a slippery rock. Hoisting himself up, Kylo noticed the dark splashes of water everywhere on the surrounding rocks. Judging by the trajectory of the splashes and the radius of the area covered, something large must have fallen into the water.  
  
_Or someone_. 

Taking a deep breath, Kylo bent his legs, raised his arms, and dove into the pool.

His endurance was excellent; Kylo had undergone water-based trials while training with Snoke before. He opened his eyes and focused his view of the murky water. The only sound Kylo could hear underwater was the thudding of his own heart. _I have to find Hux. I have to find Hux. I have to find him_.

Concentrating all his energy and Force powers, Kylo swam in large, powerful strokes, his robes billowing behind him. A dark movement in his peripheral vision caught his eye; he turned around and swam towards it.

As he drew nearer, he saw that it was Hux: eyes closed and paler than Kylo had ever seen him. There was something that looked horribly like blood colouring the water around him. Kylo grabbed Hux and used one hand to pin Hux’s arms around his neck and kicked to the surface with all of his might. As he moved Hux’s body out of the way, Kylo could make out something else below them: several flesh-like chunks of matter that were definitely the remains of some water-dwelling animal.  
  
Kylo propelled himself to the surface, yanking Hux along with him. Kylo wanted to lie on the edge of the water and get his breath back, but he knew he couldn’t — Hux wasn’t breathing. Adrenaline kicked in and Kylo tilted Hux’s head back and pushed down, hard, rhythmically and in quick succession, on his chest. _Come on Hux. Breathe for me, General. Please. Don’t die, Hux. Come on. Come on!_ He pressed his lips to Hux’s and did his best to fill the other man’s lungs with air. Kylo waited a couple of seconds.

Hux gave no response.

 _Shit_.  
  
Kylo resumed his chest compressions and prayed to the Maker that Hux would revive, breathing into him once more.

Still nothing.

Kylo tried again, redoubling his efforts, but to no avail.

_I was too late._

He shrieked in anguish, a haunting, feral noise. Kylo pummelled his fists on the rocky ground, carving his rage into the environment. Shaking, Kylo stopped and a low sob broke from deep within him. Kylo covered his face as the gravity of his failure began to sink in. Drawing his knees to his chest and huddling miserably, Kylo cried. He rested his forehead on his knees and let his tears mix with the freezing pond water that dripped from his hair. He squeezed his eyes shut and his face crumpled as he wept profusely, his howls echoing throughout the cave.

A choking noise behind Kylo startled him. Kylo looked up through tear-stained vision, just in time to see Hux roll over and heave up a gallon of water.

Kylo stared in shock at the sight of Hux, animated and breathing again. Hux coughed and spluttered indecorously as he retched up more water, moaning in pain as he tried to put weight on his broken wrist. He flopped back down onto his back, still coughing and trying to take in as much oxygen as possible.  
  
_I would have bet all the credits in the Galaxy that I’d never be happy to see Hux_ , Kylo thought, _and I’d have willingly lost all those credits just to see him alive again_.

Kylo inched his way back over to Hux and helped him sit up. He was sure that Hux would have hated for Ren to see him like this, but Kylo knew he was too weak to resist at this moment.

“R-ren,” Hux gasped. “You came — you found — you saved —” Another bout of coughing interrupted Hux’s speech.  
  
Kylo placed his legs either side of Hux, so that Hux was leaning against Kylo’s front. He pushed Hux’s hair back from his forehead and held him close.

“It’s all right, it’s all right,” Kylo murmured, more to himself than to Hux, who was trying to speak again. “Shhh, Hux. It’s okay.” Kylo absent-mindedly ran his hands through Hux’s hair and held him until his breathing rate returned to something close to normal. Hux pried Ren’s fingers off him and shakily got to his feet.

“You’re injured,” said Hux, noticing Kylo’s makeshift bandage job.

“As are you,” Kylo said, gesturing towards Hux’s wrist. “Can you walk?”  
  
“Yes, Ren. I may have nearly drowned, but as you can see, I still have my legs.”

In spite himself, Ren grinned at Hux’s snarky shot at his intelligence. “You’re welcome, General,” Kylo said icily.  
  
Hux blushed with embarrassment. He began to make his way back to the cave’s entrance, Kylo following his lead. When he reached the end, Hux stopped. He turned around to face Kylo.

“They’re all dead,” Hux stated, surveying the carnage. “Did backup arrive?”

“No.”

“Then how —?”

“I took the liberty of resolving the matter myself.”

Hux couldn’t hide how impressed he was. There must have been at least 40 of them, maybe more. Kylo noted Hux’s expression and made a note to bring it up the next time they squabbled. “Let’s go. I’m sure you’re as keen as I am to get off this blasted planet,” Ren said.

Hux left the cave and started on his way back to the shuttle. Kylo picked up his helmet, trailing behind. Just at they reached their transport, Hux turned to Kylo once more and looked him in the eye.

“Thank you, Ren. Thank you for saving my life.”

 Kylo shot Hux a smirk. “Don’t make me regret it, General.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Notes:
> 
> \- [This is a Tra'cor](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Tra'cor)  
> \- I added a note to Chapter 1 about what a Danchaf looks like, but if you missed it, [here you go](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Danchaf).  
> \- The Tra'cor met the same fate as the fish that tried to eat Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's ship in _The Phantom Menace_ , AKA "there's always a bigger fish."
> 
> Personal Notes:
> 
> \- I've been rather mean to Kylo in all my other fics and I haven't been doing him justice so I thought it was about time for him to shine. I had a lot of fun writing his action sequence!
> 
> Come and talk to me on [tumblr](thethirstorder.tumblr.com)!


End file.
